


25 Days of TimKon

by Sinna



Category: DCU - Comicverse, Teen Titans, Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: 25 Days of Fic, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-06
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-20 10:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 7,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/584659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinna/pseuds/Sinna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>25 days of fic challenge. Short Christmas-themed TimKon ficlets. Mostly fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> There probably won't be exactly 25 ficlets in here, because I have no time and I'll be combining some of the prompts. But I will use all 25 prompts.  
> Here's the original challenge: http://sinnabird.tumblr.com/post/36993535269/youve-heard-of-the-25-days-of-christmas

Superboy laughed as sprigs of mistletoe continued appearing throughout the room, propelled by a miniature tornado.

“Impulse!” he shouted. “I don’t think we need this much mistletoe!”

But the red and white blur seemed not to hear him. Either he was moving faster than the speed of sound, or he was deliberately ignoring Superboy. Either was possible.

Next to him, Robin was tapping his foot impatiently. When Impulse had said that he’d only need them “for a moment” they’d assumed that it really would be just a few seconds at most. Now, five minutes later, they were still standing around watching Impulse spread mistletoe liberally throughout the room.

“How much longer is this going to take?” Robin asked.

Superboy couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. It was worth standing here watching Impulse tornado through the room just to see Robin’s annoyance reach the stage where his eye started twitching.

“It’s not funny!” Robin insisted.

Impulse slowed down for a few seconds.

“It is pretty funny, actually.”

Then, he was off again.

Unable to glare at Impulse, Robin chose Superboy as the victim of his icy glare.

“C’mon, lighten up! It’s almost Christmas!”

“It’s the first of December,” Robin reminded him. “And Batman will have my head if I don’t finish my report by tonight.”

“I’m sure you can spare a few minutes, wonder boy,” Superboy teased. “Have a little fun.”

“If I must.”

And there it was. The elusive little half-smile that meant Robin was secretly amused, despite his insistence that he wasn’t enjoying a second of it.

“Ta-da!” Impulse declared, finally coming to a stop just outside the door.

Superboy looked around.

“Well, I think you’ve managed to cover every available surface with mistletoe,” Robin remarked, sounding mildly impressed.

“So, how many girls are we inviting to this holiday party?” Superboy asked.

“Girls?” Impulse repeated.

“What’s the use of mistletoe if there aren’t girls involved?” Superboy wondered.

“I was just trying to get rid of the sexual tension,” Impulse explained.

“Sexual tension?!” Superboy sputtered. “What sexual tension?! How do you even know that term?!”

“I read about it in a book,” Impulse explained. “It said that if two people fight a lot, that probably means they secretly like each other and that once they admit those feelings they won’t fight as much. I’m fed up with listening to you two bickering every two seconds, so just kiss already.”

Superboy looked at Robin, who was still scanning the room through those freaky white lenses. Probably figuring out some dastardly plot to get past all the mistletoe in the room and back to his report for Batman.

Finally, he turned his full attention to Superboy, who grinned awkwardly.

“Um, we don’t have to do this, right?”

“It’s an ancient tradition!” Impulse insisted.

Robin stood on tiptoe and pressed his lips against Superboy’s. He held them there for only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Then, he was gone with a swish of his cape.

Superboy stared openmouthed after him for at least a minute.

“Dude! Did you see that?!” he said finally.

“You know, I didn’t actually expect that to work,” Impulse mused. “Too bad. Plan B was gonna be epic!”

 

 


	2. Hot Cocoa/Snow

  
Tim shivered and brushed the snow off his cape. He really hated the Christmas season. Why was it that every 2-bit wannabe villain decided, right after Thanksgiving, that now was a fantastic time to début a new holiday theme? The number of evil Santas he had to deal with every December was utterly ridiculous.

He finished tying up the “Krystal King” (The names just got worse every year. He’d be willing to bet money on it.) and shot Commisioner Gordon a text. Then, he took off for the rooftop. Hopefully, he wouldn’t run into any more Christmas villains tonight.

“Robin!”

Tim sighed as he heard Kon calling his name. Well, at least Superboy was marginally less irritating than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Jewel Thief. He voiced this thought aloud.

“Aw, don’t be like that,” Kon whined. “You’re so lucky. We don’t get snow in Smallville until at least January.”

Tim wondered if he should tell Kon that the only reason there was snow on the ground was because of a villain with a snow-making machine funded by money stolen from various Gotham charities. He bit his tongue and remained silent on the subject. It wasn’t really Kon he was irritated at. It wouldn’t be fair to take his anger out on his friend just because there were no convenient enemies in the vicinity.

“Why are you here?” he asked instead. “You know Batman’s rule about metas in Gotham.”

“I know. But I’m not here as Superboy. Well, not exactly.”

He gestured to his plaid shirt, as if that somehow solved everything.

“You’re still floating three feet above the ground,” Tim pointed out. “I don’t think you’re gonna fool anyone, much less Batman, with a plaid shirt.”

“Look, T-Robin, I just need to show you something. Pleeease?”

Tim sighed, allowing himself a slight upwards quirk of his lips. It was impossible to stay mad at Kon, even if it was ice cold and Batman was going to be furious.

“Just make it quick. I’m freezing.”

Kon lit up like a Christmas tree.

“I can do something about that!”

He zipped off, returning moments later with a mug and what looked suspiciously like a packet of hot cocoa mix.

“What are you up to?” he asked.

Kon grinned and shook his head.

“No talking. Just watch.”

Sighing, Tim did as ordered. Kon scooped up a large snowball with his TTK and dumped it into the mug. What on earth was he-

Oh.

With a determined smile, Kon slowly heated the mug with his laser vision, until`the snow began to boil. He mixed in the hot cocoa mix, and handed the steaming mug to Tim.

“Look! I can control my laser vision now!”

Tim took a small sip. It wasn’t Alfred’s creamy homemade hot cocoa, but it wasn’t half bad.

“Good job. How many trees did you burn down trying to get it right?”

“Only two.”

“Well, I’m mildly impressed.”

Kon gasped exaggeratedly.

“Wow! From you, that’s practically a declaration of love.”

Tim raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t go getting too high an opinion of yourself.”

“Now why on earth would you worry about that? I’m terribly modest.”

Tim finally gave into the urge to burst out laughing. Here, on a snowy Gotham rooftop with his clone boy, he could feel his worries slipping away. It wouldn’t last, but what did?


	3. Candy Canes/Christmas Tree

“You know, I’m surprised Imp doesn’t like candy canes,” Superboy remarked.

“Why do you say that?” Robin asked. “They’re not that sweet. You know how much he loves sugar.”

“But they kinda look like him,” Superboy pointed out.”They’re all red and white and swirly, like Impulse when he’s running fast.”

“So you’re saying Impulse looks like a candy cane?” Tim clarified with a little laugh.

“I guess so,” Superboy agreed.

“You’re right,”Robin admitted. “He really does.”

Superboy grinned in triumph.

“And you look like a Christmas tree.”

“Now you’ve gone too far!”

Robin tackled him to the ground and straddled his waist. Superboy laughed.

“Come on, Rob. Red, green, and yellow? Total Christmas tree colors.”

“Well, then what are you?”

“I’m Superboy!”

“Come on! I’m serious! If we have to be compared to Christmas symbols, so do you.”

“You can pick,” Superboy offered generously.

“You can be a Christmas tree ornament,” Robin decided. “You’re garishly colored and always hanging around.”

Superboy tried to smack him, but, unsurprisingly, Robin ducked away. So Superboy decided to play dirty, He used his TTK to pull Robin off balance, tumbling forwards onto his chest. Then, he rolled them over, switching their positions.

Robin grinned, lying there winded with his back against the floor, as if he had planned the whole thing. Superboy couldn’t help but lean down and kiss him. Robin returned the kiss enthusiastically, until Superboy suddenly found himself on his back again, with Robin smirking down at him.

“I hate you sometimes.”

“I know.”


	4. Angel

Tim Drake didn’t believe in angels. He’d never been one for religion, and the angel topping the Christmas tree at Bruce Wayne’s Christmas Charity Gala almost seemed to be mocking him. He pasted a smile on his face as another rich society girl approached him.

“Hello, Mr. Wayne,” she said.

“Please, call me Tim,” he replied graciously.

Unfortunately, she took that as an invitation to begin chattering on about what a  _nice_ party it was, and how  _lucky_  he was to have been adopted by Bruce Wayne.

“You know what?” he remarked, interrupting her.

She leaned in closer, having sensed that he was about to confide in her. 

“Every year, it surprises me that Bruce doesn’t put Batman on top of the tree.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “Or, knowing Bruce, it would be Nightwing.”

The girl stared.

“Why would you say that?” she asked, trying desperately to feign interest in the subject.

“They’re the real angels,” Tim continued. “Superheroes. Batman, Nightwing… Superboy.”

“Superboy’s dead,” the girl pointed out.

The smile dropped from Tim’s face.

“I know that.” 

Very aware of the tears prickling behind his eyes, Tim stalked off. He couldn’t risk a breakdown in front of a civilian. He’d send her flowers later. Or something.

He escaped to the balcony and vaulted over the railing into the garden below. It didn’t matter that it was freezing out. He barely felt the cold as he made his way to the apple tree near the center of the garden. He ignored the leafless twigs that clawed at his clothes as he climbed to the upper branches.

“Kon,” he murmured, staring up at the distant stars. “If you’re not up there causing a riot in Heaven right now, I’m disowning you.”

It didn’t matter that he didn’t believe in Heaven and never had. If Heaven existed, Kon would be there. It wouldn’t be Heaven without him.


	5. Pie

"You know what's awesome?"  
Robin looked up from his reports.  
"No. I don't know what's awesome."  
Superboy laughed a litte too hard. Robin's eyes narrowed behind his mask.  
"Pie," Superboy declared quickly. "Pie is the best!"  
"I hate pie," Robin told him.  
Superboy gasped.  
"You can't hate pie! That's, like, illegal or something."  
"It's hardly illegal that I don't share your food preferences," Robin pointed out.  
"We have to fix this," Superboy decided.   
"There's nothing to fix," Robin insisted.  
"Lies!"  
He grabbed Robin's hand and began pulling him towards the cave exit. It was only seconds before he was on his back on the ground and Robin had returned to his reports.  
"Come oooon," Superboy whined. "At least try some of it. I know this place that makes really good apple pie, and they give it to me free if I show up in costume."  
"You shouldn't take advantage of them like that," Robin warned.  
"Fine. If you come with me and promise to at least try a bite, I'll pay."  
Robin ignored him.  
"And I won't bother you while you're working for the rest of the day."  
At that, Robin looked up, skeptical but hopeful.  
"You promise?"  
"Sure!"  
"Let's go get the Supercycle."  
"Score!"

Twenty minutes later, they were seated in a cozy booth at Martha's Bakery. The entire place was decorated for Christmas, and Superboy wondered how Robin could still be sour in this festive atomosphere. The waitress came to take their order, and Superboy ordered a large slice of apple pie with two forks. There was no way he'd let the pie go to waste if Robin didn't like it.  
"I didn't know you two were dating," the waitress remarked as she brought their order a few minute later.  
"What? We're not-"  
Robin kicked him under the table.  
"What my idiot boyfriend is trying to say is that, in our line of work, romantic attachments can be a liability, so we'd appreciate if no one else finds out about this."  
She nodded.  
"I won't tell a soul," she promised.  
"That was brilliant," Superboy declared after she left.  
"No, that was stupid," Robin corrected. "I should've realized what this would look like. There are a lot of people who hate me and now I've just given them the perfect fuel to use against me."  
"You can't predict every possibility, Rob. Besides, I can take care of myself. Now shut up and try the pie."   
Robin still looked annoyed, but he picked up the fork and tasted a bite.   
"Well?"  
"I still hate it," Robin informed him.


	6. Tinsel

“Tim, how much tinsel should I get?”  
Tim pressed the phone against his shoulder so he could have both hands free to type.  
“Why on earth are you asking me?”  
“Because Dick is scarier than you around the holidays.”  
“Only around the holidays?”  
“Dick’s usually the normal one among you bats, but he gets insane when it comes to decorating for Christmas.”  
Tim laughed.  
“I won’t deny that. Well, how much tinsel did Dick say to get?”  
"He said a ton, but I'm not sure whether he was joking or not."   
"Dick never jokes around when he's decorating," Tim promised.  
"That's what I was afraid of," Kon sighed. "Any idea where I can get a ton of tinsel?"  
"I'm sure you can figure it out," Tim told him.  
"Why did I have a feeling you were going to say that?"  
"Well, I'll see you tonight," Tim told him. "Don't forget; dinner's at six. Don't be late!"  
"See you then," Kon replied. "Love you."  
"Love you, too."  
Tim waited until he'd hung up the phone before he burst out laughing. When he could finally breathe, he called Dick.  
"I hope you can find something to do with a ton of tinsel."


	7. Ice Skating

“Guys! Guess what?!”  
Before Robin or Superboy could actually guess anything, Impulse continued.  
“The lake’s frozen!!”  
“Which lake?” Robin asked.  
As far as he knew, there weren’t any lakes nearby. But superspeed did have the advantage of making the world a much smaller place.  
“Idunnowhatit'scalledbutit'snearManchesterandcanwegoiceskatingplease?!”  
"Could you repeat that? Slowly?"  
"It's near Manchester. Can we go ice skating?"  
"Ice skating?" Superboy repeated. "That's so lame. Why don't we just fly down to Hawaii and go swimming?"  
"C'mon! It's almost Christmas! We have to go ice skating!"  
"Imp, if you can find a frozen lake that's not halfway across the country, we can go ice skating," Robin decided. "Otherwise, we stay here and do our jobs."  
Impulse was off like a shot and returned only moments later.  
"Found one!"

Between Superboy's whining and the amount of time Robin spent putting on his winter gear, it took entirely too long for them to actually get to the lake. When they did, they discovered that none of them had ice skates. Luckily, Impulse solved that problem rather quickly.  
"Hey, Rob! Race you!" Superboy taunted once he'd gotten his skates on.  
"No TTK?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.  
"What do you take me for?"  
"You're on. Ready, set, go!"  
With that, he took off across the ice, grateful for the ice skating lessons Batman had insisted on.  
"Hey! No fair! I wasn't ready!"   
Robin risked a look back. Superboy had clearly never skated before in his life. He stuck out his tongue.  
"Not my fault, kid!"  
He turned his attention back to where he was going, just in time to avoid a branch jutting out of the ice. A startled "Whoa!" behind him told him that Superboy had failed to do the same.   
Suddenly, a heavy weight hit him from behind, knocking him over. He rolled over to see the offending object. Superboy, naturally.  
"Sorry, Rob," he muttered sheepishly.  
Robin smiled a little.  
"How about we save the races for after I teach you how to skate?"


	8. Frost

He was nearly frozen when Kon found him. His cape was covered in frost, and the frozen whiteness had collected on his eyelashes.  
"Tim!" Kon screamed. "Tim, buddy, talk to me!"  
Tim stirred faintly.  
"Tim!"  
"Kon?"  
The word was spoken too softly for human ears, but Kon was hardly human.  
"I'm here, buddy," he murmured, pulling Tim's body close in an attempt to warm him up.  
"What happened?" he wondered aloud.  
"Fight with Penguin," Tim explained, voice still barely above a whisper, as some color returned to his cheeks. "He knocked the heating out in my suit."  
"What should I do?" Kon asked.  
His first aid skills were shaky at best, and he had no clue what you did for someone who probably had hypothermia.  
"Take me back to the cave," Tim requested. "Bruce can-"  
He suddenly cut off his statement.  
"What?"  
"Bruce and Alfred are away for the week."  
Could this situation get any worse?  
"We should go to my apartment instead," Tim decided. "It's closer, and the security is less likely to kill you."  
He seemed to be recovering at a remarkable rate, but Kon could tell it was all an act. Tim needed medical help, and fast.  
"Where is it?" he asked, scooping Tim up in his arms.  
Following Tim's whispered instructions, he reached the apartment in only a few minutes. It certainly didn't look like much, but Kon had no doubt there was more to this place than met the eye.  
"Help me get my glove off," Tim requested, holding out his right hand.   
Using his TTK, Kon gently pulled the glove off Tim's hand.  
"Dammit!" Tim cursed. "I can't feel my fingers."  
"I can warm your hands up," Kon suggested, already reaching for Tim's fingers.  
"No!"  
Tim pulled his hand away.  
"No?" Kon repeated.  
"Warming up too fast... isn't a good idea. I think I can manage the code. Just make sure I don't fall over."  
It took two tries for Tim to punch the code in. Both of them let out a small sigh of relief when the door finally swung inward. Leaning heavily on Kon, Tim limped inside. Kon shut the door behind them.  
"What should I do now?" Kon asked.  
"Help me out of these clothes," Tim said. "Do you remember how to do it?"  
Silently, Kon contemplated the universe's sense of humor. Why was it that the only time he ever got to strip Tim was when the guy was almost dying?  
"Is it the same as the Robin costume?"  
"Yes. Except the cowl. But that's free of booby traps." He smiled a little. "Didn't want to risk hurting my face."  
Kon nodded.   
Kon used his TTK to seek out the catches, quickly disarming suit. It helped that the memory of the last time he'd done this was seared into his brain.  
The cowl was the first thing to go, along with the cape. Then the belts, the tunic, the boots, and finally the pants. Then, Tim was standing before him in only his underwear, and Kon was really trying not to stare at the new scars criss-crossing Tim's torso. He hesitated. Did Tim want all his clothes off, or was just getting out of the suit enough?  
"Can you help me get to the bedroom?" Tim asked, seeing Kon's hesitation.  
Kon breathed a silent sigh of relief as he helped Tim limp to the bedroom. Tim stumbled, and Kon lifted him into his arms with his TTK.  
"You don't have to pretend around me," he murmured, cradling Tim's ice-cold body to his chest.   
Tim didn't reply, but Kon took that as a good sign. He carried him into the bedroom and laid him in the bed. Tim slipped under the covers and gently tugged Kon into the bed with him.  
"My heater's crap," he explained. "So you'll have to warm me up."   
"I can do that."  
Kon wrapped his arms around Tim and pulled the blankets close around them with his TTK. Tim cuddled as close as he could, and Kon tried not to think too hard about that. Best friends got into situations like this occasionally, right? He was just helping save Tim's life, same as he always did. And if that meant laying in bed with a half-naked Tim, that didn't matter.  
"Missed you," Tim murmured. "Love you."  
It should have felt like a big moment. The world should have changed and angels should have been singing. But there was no sound beyond their soft breathing.  
"Love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took forever, and I'm still not completely satisfied with it. On the bright side, I actually have quite a few of the next ficlets done, so updates should be faster from here on.


	9. Peppermint

“What’s that?” Superboy asked, pointing to the mug in Robin’s hand.

“Hot chocolate,” Robin replied, not even bothering to look up.

“It doesn’t smell like hot chocolate,” Superboy insisted. “It’s got this weird… minty flavor thing going on.”

“It’s peppermint hot chocolate,” Robin clarified.

“Why would you even do that?” Superboy wondered. “What crazy person would ruin a perfectly good cup of hot chocolate by adding peppermint?”

“It’s not ruined,” Robin told him. “Try some if you like.”

“I don’t trust you,” Superboy said. “That peppermint tea you got me to drink last week was disgusting.”

“Only because you have no tolerance for anything that isn’t saturated in sugar.”

He stood up and stalked towards Superboy, who was really rather powerless to resist when Robin pressed their lips together and invaded his mouth with-HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT DELICIOUS TASTE?!

Superboy couldn’t get enough of it. He shoved his tongue into Robin’s mouth, determined to swallow every last drop of that delicious flavor.

Finally, he remembered the fact that he had to breathe, and pulled away. Robin was smirking, just like he had when Arrowette had…

Oh shit. What was the protocol when you kind-of-accidentally kissed your best guy friend?

“I had a feeling you’d like it,” Robin said.

He handed Superboy his mug.

“You can have the rest if you want.”

Superboy took a small sip. Okay, it tasted really good. But it had tasted better when he was licking it out of Rob’s mouth.

Shit. How were you supposed to go about telling your best guy friend you want to make out with him because he tastes good?

“We should do that more often. The making out, I mean.”

“Take me out on a date first.”


	10. Gingerbread

“Is that the last of them?” Kon asked.  
Tim looked around the street, littered with chunks of the giant gingerbread men they’d been fighting.  
“I think so,” he said.   
“Gingerbread men? You bats have some lame villains.”  
“Says the guy who managed to fall for Poison Ivy’s tricks within three seconds,” Tim teased.  
“Hey! That was ages ago!”  
Tim smiled.  
“Giant gingerbread men definitely aren’t the norm,” he assured Kon. “Christmas time is always a bit wacky.”  
“Very good point,” Kon admitted. “Halloween’s worse, though.”  
“Halloween’s only one night,” Tim countered. “Christmas season goes from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.”  
Kon shrugged.  
“So, what do we do with all this gingerbread?”  
“It’s not edible,” Tim warned him.  
“Yeah, I guessed that.”  
“Think your TTK could handle it?”  
Kon winked.  
“Watch me, babe!”  
Tim couldn’t hold back a full-blown grin, and Kon didn’t even try to pretend not to notice.  
“Watch out! You’re showing teeth,” he teased.  
“Oh, be quiet!”  
Kon knelt down and but a hand to the pavement. Seconds later, the bits of gingerbread rose into the air and collected into a large ball in the center of the street.  
“Where should I put this?” he asked.  
Tim considered for a moment.  
“There’s a toxic waste disposal unit nearby,” he remarked.  
“Got it.”  
Kon was gone for less than a minute before he returned, minus gingerbread.  
“Well, I’m glad that’s over,” he said.  
Tim nodded.  
“Wanna come back to the manor?” he suggested. “Alfred makes the best hot chocolate.”  
“I’ll take any excuse to get my hands on Alfred’s cooking,” Kon declared.  
“Oh, I see how it is,” Tim teased. “It’s nice to know I mean so much to you.”  
“Sorry, Tim,” Kon replied. “I’m leaving you for Alfred’s cookies.”  
Tim clasped his hands over his heart dramatically, managing to hold the pose for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.  
“Just for that, I’m making you carry me home,” he declared, as soon as he had his breath back.  
Kon didn’t even have the decency to look properly chastised.


	11. Presents

Robin hesitated, looking around carefully. Impulse was nowhere in sight. That was no guarantee that he wouldn’t show up in a few seconds, but Robin only needed a few seconds. He checked again, just to make sure Superboy was still asleep.

He had a hand halfway in Superboy’s jacket when his limbs suddenly froze.

_Shit._

“What are you up to, Rob?” Superboy asked.

“I thought you were asleep.”

It wasn’t a lie.

“That doesn’t explain why you were trying to get into my jacket.  You’re pretty weird, Rob, and I know I’m hot, but I didn’t expect this.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Robin scoffed. “Your ego hardly needs stroking.”

“Didn’t look like you were trying to stroke my _ego_.”

“I will punch you in the face with a stick of kryptonite,” Robin said.

“Chill, Rob. I’m joking. But seriously, what are you doing?”

Robin, realizing that he could move again, pulled his arm away from Superboy.

“I just wanted to give you this,” he admitted, holding out the small box in his hand. “Merry Christmas, SB.”

Superboy stared at the box with confusion.

“Er, thanks, Rob,” he said, turning it over in his hands. “I, um, don’t have anything for you.”

“That’s fine.”

He almost made his escape, before Superboy’s TTK got a hold of him again.

“No way you’re leaving without watching me open it.”

Superboy sat up and offered the other half of the couch to Robin. He considered fleeing the second the TTK hold vanished, but SB would just come after him. Besides, he did kind of want to see Superboy’s reaction to the gift.

Superboy held the box for a few more seconds, before ripping the paper off with his TTK.

“Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like.”

“It’s not a ring,” Robin told him. “Any small jewelry comes in a box like that.”

“Good. I’d hate to turn a guy down right before Christmas.”

Robin muttered another threat of kryptonite.

“Wait…jewelry? You bought me jewelry?!”

“Just open it,” Robin snapped.

Superboy opened the box.

“Oh.”

“Do you like it?”

Superboy fingered the gold S-shield earring.

“Like it? This is the best thing anyone’s ever given me!”

“I figured you might enjoy having your symbol on an earring.”

“How did you even pay for this? You must be filthy rich if this is what you buy for your friends.”

“You’d be surprised what the batarang budget covers,” Robin told him.

It was a complete lie. He’d bought the earring with his own money. But Batman had forbidden him from giving out clues to his identity, and he thought mentioning the fact that he was rich might be a pretty good hint if SB decided to have one of his rare moments of insight. There were only so many kids in Gotham with an allowance that could afford a solid gold custom earring.

He jumped a little when Superboy wrapped him in a tight hug.

“Thanks, Wonder Boy.”

Robin awkwardly returned the hug.

“You’re welcome, Kid.”


	12. Fireplace

“Whoa! That fireplace is huge!” Kon shouted.

Tim nodded.

“Bruce is a billionaire. He has the money.”

“Welcome to Wayne Manor, where everything is oversized and no one can express their emotions normally,” Kon joked.

Tim swatted him. He probably deserved that.

“I stand corrected. Dick’s pretty good with emotions.”

“I’m not that bad,” Tim insisted.

“Remind me again what you did when I died?”

Tim stiffened.

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Tim. I didn’t mean….damn. I’m an idiot.”

“At least we both agree on that,” Tim teased, a ghost of a smile returning to his lips.

He was still a little paler than usual, but he seemed to be okay.

“So, uh, big fireplace. We should have a fire.”

Not the smoothest of subject changes, but Tim had always been the one who was good with words.

“Wood’s outside,” Tim told him. “Feel free.”

“You’re not going to help?”

“I’m not going out in twenty degree weather just because you want a fire.”

Kon pouted, but went out to get the wood. Luckily, it was just on the back porch, so it was still dry. He piled a few logs in the fireplace and set them alight with his laser vision.

Tim curled up on the couch, watching the flickering flames. Kon recognized that look. He was thinking about that year again.

Kon approached the couch and sat down next to Tim. He pulled his wonder boy close to him, wrapping his TTK around Tim like a blanket.

“I’m here,” he murmured. “I’m not leaving again. I promise.”

“I believe you.”


	13. Stockings

“We should have another sleepover here,” Superboy commented.

Robin raised an eyebrow, wondering what had brought this on.

“I could probably get permission. When?”

Superboy hesitated.

“Tomorrow?”

“Christmas Eve? Why do you want to spend Christmas Eve here? Don’t you want to stay home?”

Avoiding meeting Robin’s eyes, Superboy fidgeted with his jacket.

“Well, see, the thing is… Cadmus… you know…”

Robin nodded sympathetically. He was surprised that he hadn’t thought of that before. Superboy didn’t really have a home the way most people did. Cadmus probably didn’t do much more for Christmas, and most of the employees would probably want to visit their families on Christmas. It was no wonder Superboy would rather spend time with his friends.

Running through a series of calculations, Robin decided that he could manage it. If he told his dad he was going to be out late at a Christmas Eve party, and that he wanted to sleep in…

That would probably work. As long as he got home by ten he could stay out all night and his dad would never know.

“It’s fine with me, as long as Imp is up to it.”

“Up to what?”

In a blur of red and white, Impulse appeared in the cave.

“Want to have a sleepover on Christmas Eve?” Superboy asked, regaining the easy grin and casual attitude that Robin had never seen him drop around anyone else. He supposed that made him special, that Superboy was able to drop the mask around him. He wished he could return the favor.

“Lemme ask Max,” Impulse said.

In less than a minute, he was gone and back.

“It’s fine!”

He looked around the room.

“We need decorations! I’llgogetsome!”

Another blur, and suddenly wreaths, tinsel, and ribbons began to pile up around the cave. Robin suddenly felt a slight burst of wind behind him, accompanied by the soft brush of a Santa hat on his head. Looking at Superboy, he saw that he wasn’t the only one to receive that treatment. SB brushed the ball of the hat off his face with his TTK, grinning broadly.

In only a few minutes, Impulse had the entirety of Mount Justice decorated. He stood, hands on hips, and admired his handiwork.

“Not bad. Anything missing?”

“Stockings,” Superboy pointed out. “We need stockings!”

Impulse was gone and back again. He returned holding three stockings. The candy cane striped one he kept for himself, the blue Superman one went to Superboy, and the green plaid was for Robin. He wrote their names in slightly sloppy block letters with markers he’d probably procured from Robin’s collection.

“Where do we hang these?” he asked.

Robin surveyed the cave. They didn’t have a fireplace.

“What about on the back of our chairs?” he suggested.

“Okay!”

It wasn’t conventional, but what part of their friendship was?


	14. Cookies

“Do you want some cookies?” Tim asked.  
“Do I? Is that seriously a question?”  
Tim smiled as he started arranging chocolate chip cookies on a plate.  
“I only ask because Damian helped with this batch.”  
Behind him, Kon went silent.  
“Have you tested them for poison?” he asked finally.  
“I ate some yesterday,” Tim told him. “They’re a little dry, but they taste fine.”  
“If you say so,” Kon replied skeptically.   
Tim set the plate of cookies on the table in front of Kon and took a seat next to him at the breakfast bar. Kon eyed the cookies suspiciously.   
“You’re sure they’re safe?”  
Instead of replying, Tim simply reached for a cookie and took a large bite out of it before handing it to Kon.  
“See? Perfectly fine.”  
He handed the half-eaten cookie to Kon, who glared at it suspiciously. That didn’t stop him from eating it.  
“Okay, this is pretty good,” Kon admitted. “Not as good as Alfred’s, but pretty good.”  
“Drake, would you please take your boyfriend somewhere else?” Damian requested, barging into the kitchen. “Colin and I are going to make cookies.”  
“You really like baking, huh?” Kon remarked.   
“I don’t,” Damian snapped. “But I promised Colin we could bake cookies yesterday, and since Drake barricaded himself in the kitchen all day, we had to put it off until today.”  
Kon looked at the plate of cookies in front of him.  
“You made these, Tim?”  
Tim nodded.  
“Why on earth did you say he did?”  
“What is going on?” Damian asked.  
“I wanted your honest opinion on them,” Tim told Kon. “I knew you’d never give it to me if you knew I made them.”  
“You sneaky little birdbrain,” Kon teased. “You made me cookies?”  
“Yes.”  
“That is so sweet!”  
He pulled Tim into a tight hug, and then a chocolaty kiss.   
“I’m not watching this,” Damian declared, backing out of the room. “Colin and I are going to play another round of Mario Kart. I expect you to be gone when I come back.”


	15. Santa

“This is stupid,” Robin declared.

“Aw, don’t be such a buzzkill, Rob,” Superboy replied.

Perched in a tree outside Bart Allen’s house, the two were poised and ready to record evidence of Santa Claus’ existence. Robin would never have come, but he’d been unable to turn down both Impulse and Superboy’s pleading faces. So here he was, aiming his binoculars at the sky above the Allen residence, ready to signal Superboy to start recording the second he saw anything.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

“Didhecomeyet?!”

Impulse suddenly appeared beside them, looking quite awake.

“He won’t come while you’re awake, doofus,” Superboy said.

“But how am I supposed to sleep on Christmas Eve?”

“It’s Christmas morning, actually,” Robin remarked. “Go to sleep. Plenty of kids manage it every year.”

“But I’m just so excited!!”

“Go to sleep, Imp,” Superboy repeated.

A sigh and a blur and Impulse was gone again.

As the hours wore on, Robin felt a warm weight settling on his shoulder. Looking down, he realized Superboy was using him as a pillow. He smiled a little and shifted slightly to make things more comfortable. He also slipped the camera out of Superboy’s hands. SB might have decided to take a nap, but Robin was used to late nights. He’d get that footage for Impulse.

When Impulse came out to check on them at eight in the morning, he found them both asleep. The video camera in Tim’s hand was found, after a quick inspection, to be unused. But maybe that was okay. Who’d wanna really capture evidence of Santa Claus’ existence? It would take all the fun out of believing.


	16. Sled

“You ready for this?” Kon asked.

Sitting behind him on the sled, clinging to him tightly, Tim nodded.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then let’s go!”

With a burst of TTK, Kon pushed them over the precipice. Tim closed his eyes and clung to Kon with all his strength, knowing he couldn’t hurt him.

“WHOOO!!” Kon screamed.

The sled bounced and slid, and if Tim didn’t have the utmost confidence in Kon’s TTK he would be terrified right now.

What felt like hours later, although it was probably only a minute at most, he felt the sled leap into the air and opened his eyes just in time to see them plow into a large snowdrift.

“KON!” he shouted, as he climbed out of the snowpile.

Kon helped him up and held him suspended a few feet in the air.

“Sorry, I lost control a little.”

“You did not,” Tim countered. “I know your TTK, remember?”

He smiled sheepishly.

“But, come on, it’s the best way to end a sled ride.”

“For you maybe.”

“Tim, please don’t be mad at me. It was stupid, okay? I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Are you ever thinking straight?”

Kon’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Are we going again?” Tim asked.

“Uh, sure, if you want to. I promise I won’t steer into any snow drifts this time.”

Tim laughed a pressed a kiss to Kon’s cheek.

“Oh no, Clone Boy. This time, _I’m_ steering.”


	17. Snowman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this in about ten minutes. I love writing dialogue fics.

“Robin?”

“Hm?”

“You are aware that there are about five snowmen out in the yard, poised to attack?”

“Impulse found a book on snow-sculpting.”

“They have fangs.”

“I’m trying not to think about that part.”

“Do you think that says something about him. Like, psychically or something?”

“Psychologically, and probably not. He plays a lot of video games, remember?”

“Actually, I think I was watching him play a game where the bad guys were evil snowmen. It was hard to tell. Do you know how he makes those games move so fast?”

“I believe it’s an adapter chip developed by The Flash.”

“That’s kinda neat. So, how good are you at building snowmen?”

“Not as good as Impulse. Probably better than you.”

“Why don’t we find out?”


	18. Christmas Music

“I really can’t stay,” Robin sang out.

Superboy joined in immediately.

“Baby it's cold outside.” 

“I gotta go away.”

“Baby it's cold outside.”

“This evening has been.”

“Been hoping that you’d drop by.” 

“So very nice.”

“I'll hold your hands they’re just like ice.” 

Superboy took Robin’s hand and the two began dancing in the early morning light.

“My mother will start to worry.”

“Beautiful what's your hurry?” 

“My father will be pacing the floor.”

“Actually, he’s about twenty minutes away from calling the police.”

Robin would’ve jumped a foot in the air if Superboy’s TTK hadn’t suddenly clenched around him.

“Batman!” Superboy gasped.

“I approved this sleepover on the condition that you promised to be home by eight o’clock, and I was led to believe that Impulse would be with you,” Batman said flatly.

“Shit! What time is it?!” Robin asked.

“It’s now nine-thirty,” Batman told him.

“Sorry,” Superboy muttered. “We kinda lost track of time. And, um, Imp was here, but he went home at some ungodly early hour of the morning so he could open presents.”

“How mad is he going to be?” Robin wondered.

“Furious,” Batman guessed. “He would’ve had a massive manhunt organized an hour ago if it hadn’t been for Bruce Wayne’s timely intervention.”

Robin winced.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Batman said. “Figure out what you’re going to tell him when I bring you home.”

“Um, I’ll say I stayed over at a friend’s after the party last night,” Robin decided.

“Which friend?” Batman asked. “Who will vouch for you?”

“Spoiler would, but I don’t think my dad would really approve of that,” Robin remarked. “Bernard would, though, if he thought I was at her place.”

“Call him,” Batman ordered, tossing Robin his cell phone.

He dialed Bernard’s number.

“Hey, Bernard?”

“Hey! Merry Christmas!”

“Yeah, you too. Um, anyway, I ended up spending the night at my girlfriend’s house, and my dad knows I wasn’t home last night. So, if anyone asks, I was at your house all night, okay? We played videogames until 3 in the morning.”

“Got it, T-”

“Thanks, Bernard. I gotta go. Bye.”

He hung up the phone quickly. He did not need Bernard blabbing his real name around a guy with super-hearing.

“This never gets out, got it?” Batman ordered.

“Got it,” Superboy gulped.


	19. Sleigh Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on The Polar Express

On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I was listening for a sound that Jason had told me I’d never hear. I was listening for the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.

I didn’t hear sleigh bells, but I did hear the curious sound of a steam engine pulling up beside my house. I rushed to the window, and was confused to realize that there was in fact a train just outside. I swore the tracks it ran on had never been there before, but the evidence of my own eyes insisted that the train was real. Slipping on a pair of shoes, I rushed outside.

“All aboard!” the conductor cried out.

He looked at me and held out a hand.

“Are you coming?”

“Where to?” I asked.

“Why, the North Pole, of course!”

I took the blue and black gloved hand and he pulled me aboard.

The train was filled with other children, from all over the world. I took a seat between a tall black-haired boy and a hyperactive brunette.

“Hi, I’m Kon!” the tall boy declared.

“And I’m Bart!”

“I’m Tim,” I told them.

“Do you think we’re really going to the North Pole?” Bart asked.

I shrugged.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Gee, imagine getting to meet Santa Claus,” Kon sighed. “I’d better remind him to get me that motorcycle. Dad never will. Pop might, but Dad would never let me touch anything _he_ gave me.”

“Ooh! I want video games!” Bart chimed in. “Max hasn’t gotten me any new games since my birthday. I’ve been playing Turtle Wars for three months straight.”

“What about you, Tim?” Kon asked. “What do you want for Christmas?”

I shrugged.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

Two blonde girls soon settled in the seat across from us. Their names were Cassie and Cissie and they went to the same school. Luckily, the next blonde to join them was named Greta, which was harder to get mixed up. As the train got more rambunctious, the girl sitting in the seat behind them leaned over and declared herself Anita. She also pulled over another boy and introduced him as ‘Slobo’.

Soon, the train stopped picking up new children, and the landscape outside the window changed to a barren white wasteland. Lights eventually appeared in the distance.

“The North Pole!” Bart gasped, pressing his face up against the window. It wasn’t long before the train reached the outer limits of the brilliantly lit city. The place seemed deserted.

“Where are all the elves?” Kon wondered.

“They’re gathering at the center of the city,” the conductor told us. “That’s where Santa’s going to give the first gift of Christmas.”

“The first gift of Christmas?!” Bart gasped. “Who’s that for?”

“Santa will choose one of you kids.”

Bart and Kon both crossed their fingers, but I wondered what you should choose for the very first gift of Christmas. I silently hoped I wouldn’t be chosen. It seemed like too much of a responsibility.

The outer edges of the elven mob soon appeared, and the train was forced to pull to a stop.

“Everybody out!” the conductor shouted.

We emptied into the square. Santa’s sleigh appeared above us and we all gasped in delight.

The sound of sleigh bells was the sweetest thing I had ever heard. Kon must have noticed the expression on my face because he said “Found something you want for Christmas?”

I nodded wordlessly, too awed to speak.

The sleigh landed just as the clock rang midnight and Santa Claus climbed out. He looked over us with a critical eye.

“Let’s have you,” he said, pointing next to me.

Kon grinned and jumped into the sleigh, seating himself on Santa’s knee.

“What would you like for Christmas?” Santa asked.

“I want-” he began, but he paused and cast a sidelong glance at me. “Could I have a bell from your sleigh?”

Santa smiled.

“Of course, my lad.”

He motioned to an elf, who cut a bell from one of the reindeer’s harnesses and handed it up to Santa.

“The first gift of Christmas!” he declared, presenting the bell to Kon.

Everyone cheered. The conductor helped Kon off the sleigh, and Santa Claus took off into the night. Probably only two people weren’t watching the sleigh disappear into the night sky. I was watching Kon, and he was watching me. He took my hand and roughly shoved the bell into it.

“Merry Christmas.”

It was the sweetest gift I’d ever received.

The train ride home seemed a blur. I held Kon’s hand the whole way.

“Timothy Drake!” the conductor shouted.

“Wait! Where do you live?!” Kon asked, as I stood up.

“Gotham, New York,” I told him. “What about you?”

“Smallville, Kansas,” he said with a grimace.

“At least we’re on the same continent,” I said.

I had heard Anita say that she was Jamaican and where Slobo was from was anyone’s guess. He didn’t seem too keen to give away any personal information.

The conductor helped me off the train.

“Merry Christmas!” he called after me as the train rolled away.

It was gone in an instant, and so were the tracks.

In the morning, I wondered if it was a dream. But there on my bedside table was a beautiful silver bell. I rang it lightly, delighting at the sound.

“That’s pretty,” my brother Jason remarked when I showed it to him. “Too bad it’s broken. Where’d you get it, kid?”

“A friend gave it to me,” I told him.

“Some friend.”

 

“Is that really a true story?” Jack Drake-Kent asked.

“Every word,” Tim promised. “Do you want to see the bell?”

The four-year-old nodded eagerly.

“Kon?”

Kon lifted a velvety box down from the top shelf and handed it to Tim. Tim opened the box and lifted the bell out.

“Here, you ring it.”

Jack accepted the bell and rang it, delighting at the slivery peals.

Tim slipped his hand into Kon’s and the two watched their son play with the bell that had brought them together.

“Off to bed, Jackie-boy,” Tim said finally. “Maybe you’ll get your own ride on the Polar Express this year.”


End file.
